


All I've ever heard are love songs

by jule1122



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Future Fic, Humor, Liz and Michael as actual partners in crime, M/M, drunk Michael and Liz, established malex, not friendly to Forrest Long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:02:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28699593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jule1122/pseuds/jule1122
Summary: Alex didn't expect his night to end with Forrest trashing him in his poetry or bailing Michael and Liz out of jail.  But it did.
Relationships: Michael Guerin & Liz Ortecho, Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 65
Kudos: 157





	All I've ever heard are love songs

**Author's Note:**

> I tagged this as not Forrest friendly as a precaution. Forrest isn't actually in the fic, just talked about it. There is some gentle fun poked at his poetry and hair, but if you really love him, this probably isn't the fic for you. Please feel free to ask for more details if you need them. This whole story is meant to be silly and fun and not taken seriously.
> 
> Title take from "I Dare You" by The xx

Alex waves at Jenna as he walks past her desk on his way to the holding cell. She smirks at him and presses a button he assumes unlocks the door. He can’t believe he’s here to pick up Liz and Michael. When he agreed to be the designated driver so they could combine their normal open mic night out with a celebration of some breakthrough Liz and Michael made at the lab, he hadn’t expected the evening to end like this.

Hopefully, the few hours Alex waited, first to cool his own temper, then to attempt some damage control and finally to help Maria take down the stage, will have sobered them up. Finding them leaning against each other on the bench and giggling loudly isn’t encouraging.

Alex clears his throat to get their attention. They both look up and gasp in surprise when they see him.

“Alex!” Michael launches himself toward the bars. “You’re here!”

He nods and looks at Liz who wobbles as she stands before finally steadying herself with a hand against the wall. “Want some?” she holds out the flask she has clutched in her other hand.

“Where did you get that,” he points at the flask. At least now he knows why they were pleasantly buzzed the last time he saw them, and now have clearly crossed the line over to drunk. 

“Cam gave it to us. After we told her what happened she said we deserved it. She’s the best,” Liz said with a dreamy smile.

Alex pinches the bridge of his nose and silently curses Jenna. “Would one of you like to explain it to me? Because Maria told me you went out to get some air, and the next thing I know I’m getting a call that you both have been arrested. Jenna told me you slashed Forrest’s tires?” he asks looking at Liz.

“Yep,” Liz nods. “All four of them.” She lets go of the wall to hold up four fingers.

“And you,” he turns to Michael. “Were writing on his car with shaving cream?”

“I stopped at the store on my way to the Pony,” Michael interrupts helpfully. ‘You said you were low.”

Trying to ignore the flush of warmth that comes from knowing Michael remembered an offhand comment he made this morning and took the time to buy him shaving cream, he continues as if Michael hadn’t spoken. “You wrote, “Alex Manes has a big?”

“Dick,” Michael pipes up. “It was going to say dick, but Cam got there before I finished.”

“Thank God,” Alex mumbles under his breath. He didn’t think the situation could have been any more awkward then it already was, but had Michael finished writing that, facing Forrest while Sanders towed his car away would have been infinitely worse.

“It’s true,” Liz adds earnestly as she joins Michael at the front of the cell. “I’ve seen it, you know when you used to sleep over and last month when I walked in on you guys. It really is big. You did good, Mikey,” she holds her hand out for a fist bump.

Alex buries his face in his hands and wishes for the ground to swallow him up. He takes a deep breath and decides to just pretend he never heard Liz comment on the size of his dick. When he looks up, he finds Michael staring at him with a proud smile on his face. “Ok,” he starts, trying to get the conversation back on track. “None of that explains why.”

‘I never stood up for you with Kyle, back in high school, and I should have. I’m really, really sorry,” Liz presses against the bars, leaning closer to Alex. He should probably tell them the door is unlocked. “Mikey was going to defend your honor, and I wanted to help.”

“I don’t need to be defended against Forrest,” Alex feels like he’s missing something. Liz was in California when he dated Forrest. He honestly wasn’t sure she even knew about them.

“Look,” Michael says a little too loudly considering how close they are all standing now. “If he wants to write bad poetry about his ex-boyfriends, that’s fine. I don’t really care about the guy who called him daddy or the one who stole his cat, although that is a dick move, but he can’t come to _our_ bar and talk about you like that,” Michael rises up on the balls of his feet and starts pointing at Alex.

“Hey,” Alex gently pushes Michael’s hand down. “We went on three dates over a year ago, and haven’t spoken since. It wasn’t anything serious, I don’t care what he says about me.”

Michael shakes his head and clears his throat before reciting the final stanza of Forrest’s poem,  
_“The one whose kisses made promises his body couldn’t keep.  
The cage around his heart, working like a chastity belt.  
He left me hard and aching.  
But there are bigger, better fish in the sea, baby.  
And they are all swimming at me.”_

Alex can hear Jenna snickering behind him. He looks at the ground, trying to regain his own composure, before speaking. “You memorized it?”

“He wouldn’t stop repeating it,” Jenna yells from wherever she’s been listening from. “Why do you think I gave him more alcohol? I just wanted him to shut up.”

“Trust me I wish I could forget it,” Michael grimaces.

“Me, too,” Liz nods.

“Me, three,” Jenna yells again.

“You’ve worked so hard to start feeling good about yourself,” Michael says earnestly. “I couldn’t let him get away with upsetting you.”

“But I wasn’t upset,” Alex reassures him.

“You got up and left the table. You wouldn’t even look at us when I asked you where you were going,” Michael argues.

“Because I was laughing, and I was trying not to be rude.”

“Oh,” Michael deflates a little.

“You mean we did that for nothing?” Liz’s face falls.

Alex closes his eyes and tries to block out the sound of Jenna’s continued laughter. He reminds himself that they did this out of love, and he is lucky to have people in his life that care enough to do incredibly stupid and illegal things in his name.

“You know what, it’s fine.” He opens the cell door and gestures for them to follow him. “Let’s just go home and get some sleep. In the morning, I’m sure if you both apologize to Forrest, he’ll drop the charges.”

“Nope,” Liz steps back into the cell. “I’ll just stay here.”

“Liz,” Alex looks at her in confusion. “I know you might be embarrassed, but I already promised to pay for any damages. Forrest will be reasonable about all this.”

“That’s not it. I just can’t talk to him in person,” Liz shakes her head rapidly, a horrified look on her face. “His hair.”

Alex looks at the ceiling and prays yet again for strength.

“She’s right,” Michael agrees. “I never thought I’d miss the blue, but neon orange is not his color.”

“We’ll figure something out, but for now let’s just go,” Suddenly Alex is desperate to get home. He’s tired, his leg hurts, and nothing anyone says is going to make this night any less of a shit show.

Jenna’s waiting at her desk as they pass by, standing with her arms crossed, “Liz, I think you have something of mine.”

Liz clutches the flask to her chest, but hands it over reluctantly after Alex gives her a stern look.

“Fine,” she grumbles, “it’s empty anyway.”

Jenna snatches the flask back before Liz can change her mind then turns to Alex. “And Manes, next time Forrest Long shows up to visit his douchebag relatives, make sure Maria cancels open mic night.”

Alex flips her off and continues walking toward the door only to have Michael stop him. He turns around and finds Michael looking absolutely devastated.

“I missed your song,” he says, pulling at his hair. “Damn it, you said you would sing something for me, and I missed it. I can’t believe I missed it. Fuck.”

“You didn’t miss anything,” Alex reaches for him as he starts pacing the small space. “Finding out my boyfriend was arrested kind of put a damper on the evening so I skipped my turn,” he tries for a light, teasing tone, hoping to break Michael out of his spiral. But he’s still looking at Alex with the beginnings of tears shimmering in his eyes. He knows it’s mostly the combination of alcohol and an adrenaline crash, but it still breaks his heart to see Michael so upset. “I’ll sing it for you when we get home.”

“It is a love song?” Michael asks with a small, hopeful smile.

At that, the last of Alex’s irritation and embarrassment fades away. He pulls Michael to him and holds him tightly, face buried in his neck. It’s still hard to believe he has this, this beautiful, brilliant man who loves him so openly. Alex always feels like he’s a step behind in loving Michael the way he deserves to be loved, and tonight was supposed to be another step in bridging that gap. “Every song I sing for you is a love song.”

Michael kisses him then, soft and sweet at first, until he pushes his tongue into Alex’s mouth and the kiss turns passionate. Alex feels Michael’s hands slide down his back toward his ass when they are both knocked off balance.

Liz launches herself at them, wrapping her arms around them both. “You are so cute,” she says way too close to Alex’s ear. “I love you both so much and just want to smush your faces together forever.”

Before Alex can figure out how to extricate himself, a sharp whistle pierces the air.

“All right, that’s enough. All of you out of my jail before I decide to lock you back up.”

Jenna sounds more amused than angry, but Alex knows better than to push his luck. He herds Michael and Liz into the car as quickly as he can.

The ride home is quiet. After about five minutes, Michael stops drawing random patterns on Alex’s thigh, his hand rests there lightly instead so Alex is pretty sure he’s asleep, Liz sings along softly with the radio station Alex had playing, but is otherwise quiet.

When he pulls up in front of Liz’s house, she ruffles his hair from the backseat before getting out. “Thanks, Alex.”

He rolls down his window and lets her kiss his cheek. “Get some sleep and don’t forget to drink water.”

“I can handle my liquor just fine, thank you,” Liz rolls her eyes at him and walks away. She only gets a few steps from the car before she turns back, “Hey Alex, I’m glad you didn’t sleep with Forrest. He doesn’t deserve your dick.”

Michael’s hand grips his thigh, and when Alex looks over, he sees his shoulders shaking with laughter.

“He couldn’t handle it either,” Michael finally chokes out.

His eyes are shining, and he looks so happy and carefree all Alex can do is drop his hands from the steering wheel, lean back and laugh with him.


End file.
